Nearly one million customers visited indoor and outdoor swimming pools in 2024
All four of Tampere's swimming pools and the outdoor swimming pool broke attendance records compared to the previous year. Visitor numbers were particularly affected by the free weekday swimming trial for over 65-year-olds in 2024, which boosted senior swimming numbers to over 120 000 visits. Launching a new, low-cost seasonal wristband encouraged regular exercise all year round. The season wristband attracted 215 600 visitors to swimming pools and during the summer season, 18 700 to the outdoor swimming pool. In total, 855 710 people visited indoor swimming pools and 129 577 visitors visited Tampere Outdoor Swimming Pool during the year.
A new level classification model was developed to facilitate exercise for seniors, which it is hoped will in time help them to choose the right form of exercise for their fitness level. 231 640 people participated in paid exercise groups for older people, 23 570 in free Youth Exercise groups for young people and 19 500 in Family Exercise groups. In addition, 43 700 school swims were organised in swimming pools and 13 200 visits were made to swimming schools for the youngest members of the family. The popular baby swimming groups attracted 7 200 visits. Ystäväluistelu and Loppiaisluistelu skating events for the whole family on the Sorsapuisto artificial ice rink attracted thousands of participants to enjoy the thrill of exercise.
More than four million people visited outdoor and indoor sports facilities
The number of people participating in outdoor sports varies according to the seasons, but the total number of visitors to outdoor sports was estimated at two million. The conditions for popular winter sports such as skiing and ice skating have greatly improved over the past few years. During the past year, the commissioning of two new artificial ice rinks, Ahvenisjärvi and Lielahti, was completed. Skiers were attracted by the good skiing weather in spring 2024 and 209 000 skiing hours were recorded on the main slopes. Outside the skiing season, 251 000 visits were recorded.
The sports facilities were allocated 128 000 bookings to 562 facilities. The total number of visitors to indoor sports facilities during the year was almost 1.5 million, including 268 000 in Nääshalli Sports Hall, for example, which focuses on self-defence. Tampere Stadium had a total of 143 600 visitors from both indoor and outdoor facilities. The use of the stadium was affected by, among other things, the renovation of the indoor facilities, which reduced the number of visitors compared to previous years. The total number of visits to the city-operated gyms was 147 870. This figure was reduced by the renovation of the Hervanta Leisure Centre, which started at the beginning of the year and has meant that the gym has been out of use for a large part of the year. The total number of visitors to all the ice stadiums in Tampere during the year was close to 400 000.
General grants of €853 500 were awarded to organisations in Tampere that focus mainly on health-enhancing physical activity and related civic activities for Tampere residents. In addition, €708 250 were awarded in targeted grants, including grants for sports events, projects and significant sports activities, as well as grants for the management of winter saunas. Targeted grants were also used to support low-threshold sports activities for children and young people in Tampere.
